Andrew Shaw (UK) was dragged kicking and screaming to his first country dance as a teenager back in the 60s, but has got over that and is now one of the UK’s most sought after and respected English Country Dance leaders, highly regarded for his detailed knowledge, high standards and precise, good- humoured instruction.

Back home he has run the Lemmings Reprieve dance club for over 30 years and his annual Kyndred Spirits course attracts an international group of country dancers. Although he can sometimes be found teaching modern dances in the same style – especially those of his dear friend Philippe Callens – 17th and 18th century ECD is his passion. He researches, reconstructs, then teaches these dances, not as museum pieces, but in a way that will appeal to the dancers of today, whilst retaining respect for the originals and great interest in their social and historical context. He has published six collections of dance reconstructions to date, with the last, The Irish Howle, just released this spring – its CD recorded in California by Persons of Quality (Rebecca King, Jon Berger and Jim Oakden).

He is uncompromising in his belief in the value of dancing well: that doing so can raise the dancer to another level, that dancing, like singing, is one of life’s redeeming pleasures, that lemmings may indeed be reprieved.

**Andrew Shaw will be on faculty week 2 of the 2024 Amherst Early Music Festival.